Look After You
by xwildatheart
Summary: Rated M to be safe. Spoilers for "Stan By Me". Just something I threw together. Enjoy!


**Written By:** xwildatheart

**Couple Portrayed:** Mary S./Marshall M.

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort & Angst

**Rated:** M for language + theme.

**General Warnings:** This is going to be a bit dark, and angst-y, and will contain Mary-ish language. It'll take place after Mary's kidnapping. Sort of AU. I was listening to the song I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders, and this idea came to me. I'll try to keep Mary + Marshall as in character as possible. I may add to it later, but for now it's a one-shot.

**Spoilers for "Stan By Me"**

ENJOY! +I 3 Reviews.

'_Please, for the love of all things holy, let Mary be okay._' Marshall pleaded silently toward the sky. He and Stan kicked the front door open, weapons in hand. A very livid Marshall spotted the unsuspecting perpetrator and yelled, "Hands where I can see them, jackass!" The man smirked, preparing himself for a fight. "Or what," he prompted. "You'll shoot me? Bring it on." The perp reached for his gun. "Gun!" Stan yelled to Marshall. _Bang! Bang!_ Two shots cracked through the air and the man fell. He screamed in agony and grasped his bleeding shoulder. "I warned you…" Marshall jeered. "Now, before I shoot to kill, tell me where she is." He demanded. "You mean the pretty blonde chick? She is one fine piece of ass, you know." The man on the ground taunted. Marshall felt his anger increase ten fold, and he stuck the nose of his Glock in one of the bullet wounds. "Tell me where she is, or I swear to whatever higher power you believe in, I will do _everything_ in my power to make sure you feel as much pain as possible, for as long as possible." Marshall spat angrily. The accomplice on the ground pointed down. He placed his index finger on the trigger, and cocked the gun. "If I find out you're lying, you're not going to want to be around for it." "That's enough, Inspector. Stand down." Stan bellowed. "Stan…" Marshall begged. "That's an order. Cuff him and let's go get her."

The basement where Mary was chained up smelled like smoke, blood, urine and sweat. The bastards who had taken her gave her some sort of drug, and she was still suffering from the side effects. '_That depends,_ _is an insufferable headache a side effect?_' she mused to herself. She was devising a plan to get herself out of this bitch of a situation when the door to the basement was opened. A man, who was no older than 35 years old with a head full of dark brown hair, stepped down the stairs. "Good morning, princess." He strode up to her and pressed his body against her back. Placing his rough, dirty hands on her hips, he whispered against her shoulder, "Time for a little fun." His grip on her hips had tightened. She winced in pain and held back a hiss. '_That's going to leave a mark_' she noted. He moved his hand up to her hair, pulling it until her head rested on his shoulder. The man took on the view he had of her chest, and the feeling of her ass against him. Mary shuddered at the feeling of him against her. She felt the bile rise in her throat as his erection pressed against her lower back. This disgusting piece of trash had a good six inches on her, and about 60 pounds. Her wrists were beginning to burn from the friction she had been implicating upon them. She quickly debated whether or not she could take him, if she ever got free. Remembering that his nose had been broken already, she whipped her head back, hitting him square in the face. She twisted around, spinning the hook the chains that bound her hands were attached to. Mary was just about to pull the hook out of the wooden post when the injured scumbag rose to his feet. "Wrong move, sugar." He was about to reach out and grasp her neck when shots were fired upstairs. Seizing the moment, Mary grabbed a shovel and whacked his head. Her attacker fell to the floor with a _thud_. The basement door creaked open, and Mary quickly ducked for cover behind the wall. As the footsteps came closer, she rounded the corner, swinging the shovel.

Stan led the way to the basement, wary of his steps. He heard a thud from downstairs, and quickly sped up his pace. Kicking the door open, he slowly made his way down the basement stairs. Just as he reached the bottom step, he saw something enter his peripheral vision. Ducking quickly, the oncoming shovel missed his head. The assailant dropped her makeshift protection, and stood there, shocked. "Mare…" Marshall whispered behind him. The Chief Inspector stepped aside, and let the two embrace. Mary broke down into a heavy sob as soon as Marshall wrapped his arms around her. She was covered in dirt, sweat, and…blood. The sight of her made Stan and Marshall's stomach lurch. The partners were too enthralled in their reunion to disturb, so Stan walked up the stairs to deal with the mess before updating Albuquerque PD.

"Mare…" Marshall whispered, taking in his partner's appearance. Her blonde hair was oily, and matted to her face and forehead. Her once shining green eyes bore a lackluster front, and she had bruises, cuts, and scrapes as far as the eye could see. His heart broke at the sight in front of him. _'Why? Why her?_' Marshall demanded. Mary stood there, stoically, and her lower lip trembled. Marshall took quick steps toward Mary and embraced her. He was careful not to hurt her further, but he was holding her tight enough to reassure himself that she, in fact, was really there. "Christ, Mary. I thought I lost you. I thought…" He trailed off, not wanting to imagine what _could've _happened.

"…Lost you. I thought…" Mary looked at her partner, waiting for him to continue. "Marshall, look at me." Mary extracted herself from the embrace, and placed a hand on his cheek, coaxing him into meeting her eyes. His blue eyes were wet with unshed tears, and stained dark with fear, worry, anger, and relief. "Thank you." She murmured, extremely grateful. Marshall seemed perplexed, so she added, "You saved my life tonight. You may not know it, but it was you who kept me going. The thought of you busting your ass to save me kept me going. You're my best friend, and I wanted to stay alive for you, Marshall." Mary looked down, embarrassed at the way her feelings were being exposed so freely. She reined him in for another warm hug, and let her emotions pour out.

That day, after Marshall had dropped Mary off at her house and got her all settled in, he rushed back to the office. Stan was patiently waiting for him when the elevator doors opened. "So, what do we have so far?" Marshall inquired. "Well, APD picked Spanky up, and he's in Interview 1." Stan replied, taking in Marshall's tired appearance. "Wait, Inspector. You don't want to go in there for this. He's fibbing about what happened with Mary, and well, frankly…you just don't want to go in there." Stan warned, taking note of Marshall's, for lack of a better word, _protective_ tendencies toward his partner. Marshall's nostrils flared and his eyes showed white-hot anger. "Stan, tell me what he's saying." He demanded through clenched teeth. Stan opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly. "Fine. Go in. Just give me your weapon." He held out his hand, and smiled tightly in satisfaction when the Glock was handed to him.

"Yeah, the little bitch wouldn't cooperate. We knocked her around a few times. Shame though, she's fucking hot. She was getting too feisty, though, and it angered me. I told Jason to take care of it, to take care of her, and then I went upstairs." Neil 'Spanky' Carson replied. Bobby looked up at Marshall, who had just walked in. He saw the look on Marshall's face, and thought, '_Oh if looks could kill…_' and an idea formed in his mind. "Listen, asshole. _You're_ angering _me_, so I'm going to get _my _friend to knock _you _around a bit" Bobby threatened, clearly pissed off at the lack of information provided by Carson, other than the disgusting details of what Mary endured. Marshall obviously shared the same disgust, and stepped forward to show how angry he was. His hand was already clenched into the fist formation, and was about to lift his arm when his phone rang. Bobby saw the face that was contorted into a pissed expression change into a worried expression in a split second. "Mare? What's wrong?" was all Bobby heard of the conversation before the door closed. "What's the matter with your friend? Performance anxiety?" Carson gibed. "Shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you, you good-for-nothing piece of garbage." Bobby spat angrily. "Whoa there, big boy. Watch your language"

"Mare? What's wrong?" Marshall asked, concerned. He heard cursing in the background. "Marshall? You need to get over here! NOW!" Brandi cried. "Why? Brandi, is your sister okay?" "No! She…Mom came home and started yelling at Mary for ruining her life, or some shit like that." '_Damn it, I shouldn't have left her alone._' "I'll be there in 10 minutes, okay? Hold on." Marshall snapped his phone shut, grabbed his keys, and raced toward the elevator. "Hold up, Inspector. Where in God's holy name do you think you're going?" Stan asked. "Mary's. She can't be there right now, Stan. She has so much stuff going on right now…" Marshall trailed off, trying not to think about the previous night. Stan understood the need to protect Mary, and allowed him to leave. "Call if you…" Stan began; quickly realizing it was a moot point. Marshall was already halfway down the hall.

"Jesus Christ, mom. You think I ruined your rehearsal _on purpose_? You think that I'm out to get you?" Mary seethed with anger. She was very emotional lately, and the strongest emotion that showed was anger. "Aren't you?" Jinx challenged, feigning innocence. "God, mom. This is _just_ like you! I get kidnapped and all you can think about is yourself. You're nothing but a selfish bitch!" Mary yelled at her mother. Jinx was always trying to deflect the blame from her. "Well, maybe if you hadn't followed me…" "You know what, Jinx?" Mary rarely used her mother's first name to her face. "Fuck you. You think that I _wanted_ to get kidnapped, tortured and-" The front door was pushed open, revealing a very concerned Marshall. "Jesus, Marshall. What do you want?" Mary yelled at her partner, still angry. "Brandi, take Jinx out for a while. Go see a movie or something. It's on me." Marshall pulled out his wallet and slipped a $20 bill into Brandi's hand. Jinx pouted and stomped out the door. "Thank you" Brandi whispered, closing the front door after her. Marshall focused his attention back on Mary, taking in haggard appearance. Her face was tinted red from yelling, frown lines clear on her face. Her hair was damp and pulled into a loose pony tail, and she was wearing sweatpants and a loose top. She probably felt about as good as she looked. "Thank you" Mary whispered, relief flooding her features. "Don't thank me, Mare. I'm just doing what any friend would do." Marshall smiled softly. Mary's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry." She said suddenly. "I tried, I did. But I let them get to me. I let you down." Mary whispered the last part. Marshall was so baffled that he wasn't sure he heard her right. "Wait, you think that I'm upset with you? That this is your fault? Christ, Mare. I _really_ shouldn't have left you here with your overbearing mother." Mary gave a halfhearted smile and the tears fell. "Mary, sweetheart, _none_ of this is your fault. And I'm sure as hell not upset with you. I'm furious with Spanky and his accomplice. _They_ did this, not you. Do you understand?" Marshall brushed loose strands of hair out of Mary's face. That soothing touch alone was enough to make Mary's hiccups torn into full-fledged sobs. Marshall pulled his partner into a comforting embrace, whispering words of comfort into her hair. Mary's body shook with every breath she took, and she was grasping onto Marshall for dear life. He ran his fingers along her back, trying to calm her down. Mary's tears were halting, and she loosened her grip slightly. "Go pack a bag. Make sure you have enough clothes for a week. I'll get your toiletries." Mary nodded and wiped her face.

A few nights later, after the pair had eaten and the dishes were cleaned up, Mary plopped herself down on the couch. She hissed in pain and rolled over on her side. Marshall walked in, and asked if she needed anything. "I need sleep, pain killers, and memory loss." Mary added as an afterthought. "Mare…" "Marshall…" she mocked in the same condescending tone. "Listen to me. I wish that I could just erase what happened, but that wouldn't be okay. I know that you won't understand it now, but what you had to go through helped us catch the most elite drug lord ever. I _despise_ what happened to you, and I really wish I could take the pain away. I do, Mare. Believe me." By now, Mary had tears filling her eyes, and she was picking at the throw pillow next to her. "Every time I close my eyes, I see his God-awful face, Marshall. I can't sleep without him creeping into my memory. Hell, I can't even _blink_ for fuck's sake. Every touch, every smell, every_thing_ is a damn trigger, and I can't take it! I'm keeping you up at night with the goddamn nightmares, and worry lines are starting to form. I can't stay here any more, knowing that I'm shitting on your life with my issues. I need to…I…" Mary had broken into a hysterical sob. "Mare…God, I hate seeing you like this…" Marshall caressed his partner's hair, trying to soothe her. "Shh, Mary. I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm here." Marshall's hand touched the tender spot on her head, and she jumped back, out of his embrace and her body stiffened. He saw Mary's eyes glaze over and her body react to his touch, and his defenses went up. "Don't touch me." She whispered angrily. Marshall's heart broke at the venom in her voice. "Mary," he reached out to touch her and she scooted back to avoid the man's touch. "Get the fuck away from me." Mary's voice was filled with pure, white-hot hatred. Marshall couldn't take it. "Mare, come on. It's me. It's Nancy. Doofus. Nitwit. Numb nuts. Gladys. Pervis." He continued listing off the many names he had been called by her over the years, hoping something would stick. Mary blinked several times, trying to shake the memories away. "Marshall?" she whimpered, and fell back on the couch.

Mary's eyes fluttered open, and quickly sat up in bed. '_The fuck?_' Her eyes were still adjusting to the brightness of the room when someone blocked her view. "Ms. Shannon? Oh, lovely. You're awake! My name is Kelly. I'm your RN. Your doctor is Dr. Campbell." The blonde nurse squealed. "I'll tell the doctor you're up. Do you need anything?" Mary was taking an instant dislike to the Barbie who was her nurse. "No, thanks." She tried her best not to be snippy with Nurse Kelly, because it took too much energy. "All righty then! Your boyfriend is here to see you, so I'll let him in!" Mary's expression turned from indifferent to happy. She hadn't seen Raphael in ages. Kelly turned on her heel to face Mary again. "He really cares for you, y'know. I've never seen a man so in love before." Mary smiled brightly at that. "Yeah, he's amazing." "Quite the catch. Handsome as anything, and kind blue eyes that you could drown in." Kelly added before she skipped out the door. '_Perky bitch_' Mary thought, taking a sip of water. Before she could swallow, what Barbie had said registered. Water came spraying out of her mouth, and a coughing fit followed. "Christ, Mare. You can't be left alone for two minutes without harming yourself in some way." Marshall teased. Mary blushed slightly, still thinking about what the nurse said.

'_**I've never seen a man so in love before.**_**' **

The words floated around in her train wreck of a brain. "Why am I here, nitwit?" She asked in attempt to avoid the funny feeling she was developing in her lower abdomen. Marshall sat down by her side carefully, trying not to touch her. Mary noticed this, and became aggravated. "Jesus, Marsh. Am I quarantined or something? Is that why you won't touch me?" She couldn't stop the words from coming out. "No, Mary. I just don't want to hurt you. The last time I touched you, you freaked and passed out. That's why you're in here. I'm sorry." Marshall's apology was a whispered thought, and Mary flinched at it. "Shut up, Nancy. _You_ didn't do this to me. This isn't your fault, doofus." "Wow, two names in one thought. You're clearly getting better." He teased, trying to keep the lighthearted banter alive. "Dork." Mary muttered. Marshall laughed at her kindergartener response. "Am I all good? Everything working properly?" "Yeah, you're great." Mary's stomach fluttered at the compliment. "All right, then. Take me home!" Marshall laughed again, and went to go get her release papers. As he was leaving, Kelly's words played again in her head. She smiled at the butterflies in her tummy, and decided that she could live with that.

**-2 Months Later-**

"Jesus Christ, this is delicious! Where the hell did you learn to cook like mother humping Rachel Ray!" Mary yelled to Marshall, shoving the lasagna into her mouth. "My mom taught me how to cook." Marshall answered from the other room, smiling proudly, ecstatic that his food critic of a partner enjoyed it. A clap of thunder had shaken the house, and Mary jumped out of her seat. "What the fuck!" she shouted at the sky. Marshall laughed as a flash of lightning illuminated the dark living room next to them. "Hell no." Mary exclaimed. He looked at her, a bit worried. Marshall knew how much Mary hated inclement weather.

Mary was on edge enough already because of what she went through. In the middle of her food-gasm, the sky literally opened up and rain poured down. A loud clap of thunder had given her a coronary, and the lightning etched fear into her features. After screaming at the sky, she noticed that Marshall was no longer talking to her. "I swear to all things high and mighty that I will castrate you if you scare me, Marshall! That's a _PROMISE_!" A long, muscled arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close to the figure behind her and she shrieked. "Jesus fucking Christ! You scared me!" Mary could feel Marshall laughing behind her, and she relaxed a bit. Marshall was hyper-aware of Mary's warm body pressed against him, and could feel her trembling with laughter, too. Marshall stopped laughing, and turned Mary around. She looked up, and saw that he wasn't wearing anything, save for sweatpants and socks. His hair was damp and messy. Her partner was many things to her, just not sexy. Not until now. Her eyes bore the look of raw need, and her stomach twisted. Marshall saw Mary's green eyes turn dark with desire, and his body reacted to it. "Don't look at me like that, Mare." He whispered. "Marshall…" Mary pushed an unruly piece of hair out of his face, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer. Mary's body hummed with desire and she was pulled into Marshall. He leaned down and took her lips against his. Mary and Marshall both felt a wave of electricity course throughout their body when their lips met. She snaked one arm up around his neck, and he let go of her wrist and dropped his hand to her waist. The small kiss quickly escalated into a passionate make out session. Marshall pulled away just long enough to breathe the words "I love you" into the night. Mary smiled in response, and murmured the words back to him.

So, any thoughts? Was it good? It took me forever to write. I couldn't really think of many things to put after, so I just ended it there. Thank you all for reading, I _really_ appreciate it!


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